A loud, ominous humming sound has been keeping a portion of West Seattle residents awake at night. Some have even reportedly been jarred from sleep by the low rumble, sometimes described as a growl, accompanying it. The Marine Biology program at the University of Washington may have solved the mystery of its source – the Midshipman fish.

A campaign to help Washington kids go from fearing — and sometimes flunking — math and science to embracing careers that require technical skills is celebrating its first anniversary this week. So far, nonprofit Washington STEM has given out $3 million for programs that will reach about 16,000 children around the state, and is reporting modest, but measurable progress.

As Japan rebuilds, American scientists are examining the data from the disaster and found some parallels close to home. For the Pacific Northwest, the question isn’t if a giant earthquake could happen, but when.